NJ school district to adopt universal school hours for all grades

NEWARK — The start of a school year is all about change — a change of pace, a new grade level, a shift in routine and more.

But come Sept. 3, Newark Public Schools are implementing another new normal: universal school hours.

The school day will now be 8:15 a.m. to 3:05 p.m. — a shift from 8:25 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. for elementary students and 8:15 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. for the high school. The district posts reminders on its website, along with a pop-up echoing the same thing.

Why make the switch?

The larger-scale change will allow for more classroom instruction, add 30 hours of tutoring for young students and lunchtime will be as long as a class, Communications Director Paul Brubaker said to Chalkbeat Newark.

Parents, however, appear to be getting the short end of the stick. Student drop-off and pick-up lines could become mission impossible with children of different ages.

The New Jersey School Board Association supports the district’s move, saying individual school boards should have the final say and make decisions “in response to local needs, conditions and community input,” spokesperson Janet Bamford said to the outlet.

Lawmakers in Trenton killed a bill back in January that required schools to begin no sooner than 8:30 a.m.

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